Gas purifier



Z. W. WICKS GAS PURIFIER May 20, 1930.

Filed Jan. 28., 1925 Patented May 20, 1930i ZENO-W. WICIFS, F FORT WORTH, TEXAS GAS TURIFIER Application mea January 2s, 1925. serial Nol 5,39a`

(GRANTED UNDER ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883, ASVAMENDED This specification relates to gas purifiers or scrubbers for extracting solid matter, water, or other impurities from'natural, artificialiY or other mixtures of gas.

5 By wa of illustration, the ipvention may be descri edhereinafter with relation to its application to the removal of carbon dioxide from helium bearing natural gas previous to the process of extracting the heliumtherefrom. 4 f An object of the invention is to provide an .apparatus of the character described adapted to extract one or more of the constituents of a gas or liquid mixturein such a manner as to permit the recovery of those constituents whether they be gas or liquid. -f

Anothervobject of the invention is to pro-v vide an apparatus, the construction oflwhich `is suchthat there is a repeated commin ling ofa'gas and washing mixture passing t ere-W through. y.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reliable and efficient apparatus adapt-- ed to be operated ilnder pressure orvacuum` and capable of handling any gas or liquid mixture in such a manner as to -permit separation of the gas and liquid mixture into its constituents, l i

With the above and other objects in view the invention consistsV in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying p drawings forming -a part of this specification, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which K l Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic side elevational view of such parts of the complete apparatus as is necessary to fullyunderstand the invention, and ;A

Figure 2 is a detailed view of one ofthe baflies employed in the pipe system or scrubber.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the gas to be treated for the extraction of carbon dioxide or the like is permitted to flow from a main 1, 'either by pressure or vacuum,

through a pipe 2 and control valve 3 to a lower one of a series of zigzag inclined pipes 5,' which pipes are connected by V-shaped el- APRIL 3o', 192s; 37o o. (1:7157) bows 6, causing an abrupt change in direction of flow of the material through the pipes, and l constituting a portion of the scrubbing means for the gas. The gas passing through the pipes 5 is treated by injecting a stream of 55 washing mixture, such as, caustic soda and -water, or suchl other chemical as maybe suitable, through the ejecting nozzle, forming part of the pipe 16, connected to the fitting 4, -to which the gas inlet pipe 2 is also connected. 6o This mass of washing mixture and gas begins to form itselffnto stratal as soon -as it leaves the tting 4, due to the tendency of the gas to pass through the mixture forming the upper stratum, while the mixture forms the lower stratum.V It is not the purpose of this invention, however, to have the mass of washing mixture and gas move through the pipes in .the strata formation, but rather to have the i gas -that is to be purified pass through the 70. washing mixture at a number of predetermined points in its course of travel through the scrubber. One` of the means that assists in t e accomplishment of this is baffles B placed within the pipes at predetermined intervals 'so as to invert the gas and mixture that` have been formed into strata, as above stated, causing the gas that has accumulated on the top to belcarried t0 the bottom, and the mixure, 'formerly'on the bottom, to be carried so to the top. Upon completion of this reversing movement, the gas will rise again to the top t-oQbe once more directed to the ,bottom by the next succeeding baiile. i

.These baifles, shown in detail in Figure 2, '85 are preferably strips of metal twisted lto form a complete half turn, and are placed in the pipes so as to cause an alternate whirl of lthe mass of washing mixture and gasabout every twenty feet. As they are preferably flat pieces of metal and substantially the same widthasthe diameter of the pipe, the gas will flow over the .top `of that portion ofthe baffle towards which it is approaching to be conducted to the underside of that portion of 95 the baffie from which it passes. Action on the washingmixture is the same, but in reverse order'. l

Itwill be observed from the drawings that las the mass progresses through the scrubber,

it 'comes into contact with a number-of abrupt anglesfo'rmed in the elbows 6 connectinl the, .l klseveral inclnedsections of pipe, as wel as angles formedby the joining of the pipes and- -e'lbovvsf These angles cause turbulence-be nthe Washing mixture .and gas, due to'v themomentuin of the washing mixture, it "heavier than the gas. Asthe mass comes into contact with these-angles', it forcibly strikes against the wall ofther scrubber causing an intimate commingling of the mixture and gas, because of the reason just stated. z. -I't is desirable to'have the elbows formed with these'abrupt angles to provide this additional .commingling' of, elements, as more efficient cleansing is thus established than would be the c ase Were the elbows shaped in t a gradual bend. Alsoadditional surfaces are provided for this-commingling by inclinl ing the pipe forming the scrubber in thevdilrec'tion of progression of flow of the mass. v through the scrubber.`

The mass forced through the scrubber is thus Vthoroughly agitated'fintheform ofa fog, mist, or emulsion, and as`it passes out the luppermost one ofthe series of plpes- 5 o f the-scrubber, it vmovesd down the inclined conlduit 7 to a stack pipe or trash collector 8 Where the heavier matter of the washing mixbygravity an is carried oill through the pi e washing mixture and gas rises and passes out 'at' the upper end of the stack pipe through A a-pipe 9 to 'a stagnation container or mixture trap .10,l where .the remaining washing mixture istrapped in any desirable manner, and the purified gas passes out'through pipe 11 to a pipe12 leading toa separation plant, not shown, where the helium is extracted.

Athen in the other.

ture'and forei n matter in the mass descends f ofny royaltyvthegeon or there or. 1

What I claim is In an apparatus of thecharacter described,

in combination, a' series of zi zag-pipes connected'to a suitable su ply o [gas at one end' `and a storage receptac e at theopposite end 'said pipes beinv' inclined in the direction of I how `therethrou h, means for progression of injecting a cleaningI fluid at t e inlet with sulci'ent velocity to agitate the gases, and a series of spiral plates, within .said zigzag pipes, lsaid Aplates bein periodically s ace at long intervals where y the stream o mixture lis inverted. first in one direction and Signed at-Washinggon, District of Columbia, this rst day ofl ecember, 1924.

. f v ZENO W. WICKS.

'.The washing mixture is Withdrawn from the trap 10 through suitable valves 13 and' is collected in a manifold 14 from whence Ait is drawn through pipe .15 by a suitable pump, not shown, to be again injected through pipe 162to the nozzle litting 4. Connection is made l:from the trap 10 vto the collector 8 y through a pipe' 17 to conduct any gases that might be carried out of the trap withthe washing mixture again to the collector where they will rise and again pass through the trapltogether with the newly entering materia It will thus be seen that. the present invention provides a simple and practical apparatus particularly adapted for removing certain gaseous constituents from a natural gas and simultaneously scrub and purify the same prior to its separation.

= 'lhe apparatus may be inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed and it is adapted to accomplish among others, all the 4objects and' advantages herein set orth.;

lil-he invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Gov- 'I 

